SkyFall (Taken on the Wing Book 2) (3 page)

As much as she hated leaving home at
least she didn
’
t have to see Soar every day.
If she can avoid running into him now, all the better.

Once satisfied the dirt is gone, Cloud
steps from the pool and beats water from her feathers. The natural oils make
sure they
’
re practically dry as she
pulls a tunic over her head and fastens it below her wings. Then she threads
her tail through the gap in the rear of her trousers and pulls them up,
securing the drawstring around her hips.

She
’
s
halfway up the tunnel before she remembers to brush her hair.

“
Crap,
”
Cloud
sighs.

“
Cloud,
”
a male calls from up ahead and two
members of Sky
’
s own guard appear before her.

“
Gryphons,
”
she kneels but barely
gets her knee down before each grabs an elbow.
“
What?
”

“
Silence."

The sharp male scent of their well worn
armour clashes with the lingering perfumes of the female baths and these two
gryphons could snap her in half if they wanted. She pulls her wings in under
theirs and grabs at the stone floor with her toes to keep up.

They let her go ten feet from the opening
to the eyrie
’
s main chamber, tossing her
toward the end of the tunnel.

Cloud turns and drops into a defensive
position, knees bent and fists raised.

“
Report to Master Sky in her den
immediately.
”

“
Am I in trouble?
”
Cloud straightens, chin high. Nobody gets
kicked for blowing it in training. Mostly.

“
A shame,
”
one
mutters as they brush past her.

“
What
’
s
a
—”
she starts but their steely
stares lock her question in her throat. The wave of looseness that jolts her
stomach says she
’
s in a lot of trouble.

Cloud takes a half-dozen deep breaths to
quiet her pounding heart before entering the main chamber. Gryphons clean up
from dinner as others squat or kneel on cushions around the perimeter or in
clusters on the wide stone floor. The third-years' exuberant chatter fills the
space. All wear traditional trousers and tunics, a light blend of cotton and
wool woven by the students themselves.

Nobody gives her a second look.

Cloud walks silently through the tunnel
to Sky
’
s den. With her wings held
still and careful steps she hopes to overhear any sound ahead but she passes
uninterrupted by any noise other than the wisp of her feet on stone. Soar would
have been to see Sky and his scent lingers wherever the tunnel steepens.

As she rounds the last turn, silver
lights bid welcome and she enters the chamber to find Sky at her desk.
Centuries of use have chipped the piece around the edges and worn the centre
smooth. The graceful, curved, polished steel legs are the work of the
intimidating Master and fight instructor seated in a modern, ergonomic office
chair.

Master Sky epitomizes contradiction;
former Dame and now combat trainer, blacksmith, master swordsman and the
closest thing to dame and friend Cloud has since leaving home. She
’
s also loving dame to several pairs of
offspring including Soar and Hunter
’
s
sire. Cloud loves the eight-hundred year old female with all her heart.

But Cloud can
’
t read her expression and drops to one
knee, adding a bow for good measure.

“
Master Sky,
”
Cloud murmurs.
“
What happened today, I mean...
”

She raises her chin as her eyes settle on
the single item on the desk; a knife with a six inch blade and a jeweled
handle. It can only be a ceremonial item since it appears to be made of gold,
rendering it impractical for anything more than collecting dust.

The seconds still around them and a soft
sweat breaks out beneath Cloud
’
s clean tunic.

“
Cloud,
”
Sky says, her voice clear and unhurried.
“
I hoped you would volunteer an
explanation. This knife should not be on my desk.
”

“
Master,
”
Cloud acknowledges although what she
’
s uncertain. The knife has nothing to do
with losing it at the sight of a fully feathered female.

Sky stands, pulling her mottled black and
brown wings in tight as she steps clear of the chair then relaxes them as she
moves around her desk. Her hands grip the rough edge as she rests her bottom on
the corner and leaves the knife in view.

“
Yes?
”
Sky tries.

Cloud looks helplessly up at her,
completely confused.

“
You are aware an item was stolen from
Falcon last night.
”

“
Master,
”
Cloud nods again.

“
Only half an hour ago I learned of its
location and recovered it from your den,
”
she gestures at the
knife.

How in heck did it get in my den?

But there
’
s no point in arguing. Cloud knows for
certain she didn
’
t accidentally pick it up and
hide it. She
’
s never seen it before. Sky
found it in her den and any denial will just make her look like a liar
and
a thief.

And a coward.

Cloud sits hard on the stone floor as she
understands what this means. Theft is one of the most shameful things one
gryphon can do to another and if she
’
s
been brought before Sky then Sky believes she
’
s
guilty. Cloud
’
s dream of becoming a ranger
is over. There
’
s nothing left for her here or
at home for that matter. Her hands shake as she reaches to Sky for comfort but
she draws them back. A thief will never join Dame Shadow
’
s guard.

She
’
ll
never be trusted again.

Sky sinks to the floor and takes Cloud
’
s trembling hands in her own.

“
I admit you were reluctantly accepted
into my program,
”
Sky explains. Cloud looks past
her at the knife before dropping her head.
“
Your
unknown parentage and your youth. Due entirely to Talon and Lev
’
s praise for your determination and hard
work I took you in, certain you would wash yourself out in a matter of months.

“
But instead you became one of my best
students; first up in the morning and the last to retire. I have been deeply
proud of you, Cloud, up until now.

“
But my feelings cannot prevent me from
dismissing you. Do you understand?
”

“
Master,
”
Cloud chokes out. The harsh breath
empties her lungs of all the air they hold.

“
Stand,
”
Sky orders as she gets
up. She doesn
’
t speak again until Cloud is
on her feet. The stone under her no longer feels solid and she leans, catching
her balance before widening her stance.

“
Cloud, you are hereby expelled and will
leave within the hour. You will not discuss the reason for your expulsion until
you return to the Vancouver Island Eyrie. I will give you seven days to do so
then your crime will become public knowledge.
”

Cloud nods, unable to manage the word
‘
Master,
’
and turns for the tunnel.

“
Cloud,
”
Sky says, her voice laced with the
compassion she couldn
’
t express before.
“
You have three months to prove you are
more than what the stolen knife suggests. Return in three months. You will
apologize. You will be punished.

“
And maybe I can reinstate you as my
student.
”

“
We have broken a good gryphon, Soar.
”
Sky leans on her desk, roughly pushing
the gaudy knife away.
“
And her failure in the
chamber... I pray she has the spirit to return and face me again.
”

Soar steps from a niche a dozen feet up
the tunnel leading to his grand-dame
’
s
sleeping den. As he approaches her desk, he listens for Cloud but her footsteps
have already faded.

“
She didn
’
t argue or fall apart,
”
Sky continues, wings sagging with
sadness.

“
There
’
s no other way,
”
Soar says. And no chance for second
thoughts. Sky has sworn Falcon to secrecy for seven days and now the knife
Hunter took has been recovered there is no going back.

“
I know,
”
she
sighs.
“
I don
’
t doubt the importance of your quest.
”

“
My favourite grand-dame,
”
Soar
sighs and hugs the old gryphon.
“
There will be no repercussions
on you if I fail. Nobody in the Vancouver Island Eyrie knows what I
’
m doing and neither does Hunter.
”

“
Yes.
”

“
Her story has to hold up."

Soar lifts the knife from Sky's desk and
twirls it in his palm.

"You know of Calgary's public
efforts for recognition of democratic eyries by the Grand Council. Cooper, its
leader, has gained friends in the Council and those friends could force our
traditional eyries out. If Cloud doesn
’
t
believe her story she won
’
t survive Cooper. Cloud will
be sniffed out as a spy if her story has any cracks at all.

"Nearly every other gryphon we've
sent into Calgary wound up dead."

Soar puts the knife down and leans on the
desk.

"Soar... Does she know how you
feel?" Sky puts her hand upon his back.

Soar shakes his head and moves away.

"The movement to destroy traditional
eyries centers around Calgary. Cloud
’
s
birth eyrie at Welch Peak and the Vancouver Island Eyrie I serve have been
devastated twice by rogues believed to be loyal to democratic eyries."

"I don't need a history lesson so
you can avoid your feelings," Sky sighs. "Too many good gryphons have
died over the years, both my kin and my friends."

“
Lev thinks I
’
m taking some personal time after my
visit here and he
’
ll believe Cloud ran off in
shame.

“
I guess I better go after her,
”
Soar says as he walks to the tunnel.

“
Soar,
”
Sky calls and he stops, certain she
’
s about to tell him off.
“
She is a good choice for you. I
’
m curious why you haven
’
t pursued her. Tell her. Tell her
before...
”